PEI

Why the province has no immediate plans for Hillsborough Bridge bike lanes

The provincial government has no immediate plans to add dedicated bike lanes to either the Hillsborough Bridge in Stratford, P.E.I., or the North River causeway in Cornwall, P.E.I.

Proposed cost of adding bike lane to Hillsborough Bridge is $3 to $5M

A new lane for pedestrians is being created on the Hillsborough Bridge, but not for bicycles. (Pat Martel/CBC)

The provincial government has no immediate plans to add dedicated bike lanes to either the Hillsborough Bridge in Stratford, P.E.I., or the North River causeway in Cornwall, P.E.I.

Chief Engineer Stephen Yeo said a recent study did show that the Hillsborough Bridge can support an additional lane for pedestrians and cyclists.  

"At a cost of three to five million dollars, it's not a project the government is looking at for the near future," said Yeo. 

There are great trails on both sides of the Hillsborough Bridge but they need to be connected, says Josh Underhay. (Pat Martel/CBC)

Cyclist Josh Underhay started a petition to get better bike routes to connect Stratford and Cornwall to Charlottetown. 

"All we need to do is connect the fantastic work of the trails that are already there, and we can see some great progress." 

He said many cyclists are nervous about crossing the Hillsborough Bridge and the North River causeway — two of the busiest roads in the province.

Yeo said the two new roundabouts that will be part of the Cornwall bypass will likely include room for cycling and pedestrian pathways. 

With files from Angela Walker